The sister of a Milton Keynes man who suffered a heart attack and went into cardiac arrest in a Tesco store, has told MKFM that staff and customers 'were amazing', and praised their speed in giving help.
“Without the quick actions of everyone, my brother wouldn't be here,” his sister Letitia Amber told us. James Coulson, a fit and healthy 54-year-old, is a regular runner who has completed marathons for charity.
He had popped into the Kingston branch of Tesco on Friday afternoon when the terrifying situation unravelled. “James went there to get a birthday cake for my mum with his daughter, Faith,” Letitia said. When James fell to the ground, his daughter initially thought her daddy was playing, but a fellow shopper realised the seriousness and jumped into action.
“I believe another customer in the aisle realised something was wrong quite quickly and started doing CPR, and then the security guards noticed the fall on the camera and alerted the first aiders who went running with the defibrillator. “Because of how quickly the customer acted and how quickly staff got the defibrillator to him, my brother has no lasting damage, despite being clinically dead for three minutes."
Seven-year-old Faith acted with incredible maturity, staying calm, brave and level-headed throughout: “She was marvellous,” Letitia said, “She unlocked her dad's phone and told the store workers his details, her details, told them that her and her dad were going to Nanny's house and rang my mum using his phone, before staff took over.”
James was rushed to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital by Air Ambulance where he was fitted with two stents. Incredibly, given the seriousness of Friday's events, James was discharged yesterday. He is now back at home in Monkston, recovering with his fiancee and his daughter after the awful ordeal. “I think the fact that he was helped so quickly and that he is so healthy both played their part in how quickly he has been able to go home.
The doctor said that to have a heart attack and a cardiac arrest and then survive out of hospital is phenomenal.” The birthday celebrations may have been put on hold, but the family have the best present ever – James on the mend and with no lasting damage. “Something like this certainly makes you realise your own mortality,” admitted Letitia. “The family is so grateful to everyone who helped my brother.”
